KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has said leaders should not interpret the ideas and decisions of national leader BP Koirala according to their own convenience and interests.
Speaking at the launch of writer Dharma Gautam’s book B.P. ra Bidrohka Ti Din, Thapa said Koirala was not merely a leader of a political party but a great thinker who could envision developments ahead of his time.
Thapa said Koirala’s decision to adopt the policy of national reconciliation in 2033 BS was a historic decision linked to the political circumstances of the time, national sovereignty and democratic values. He criticised the growing tendency among politicians to invoke Koirala overnight to serve their political interests and interpret his ideas according to their own preferences.
He said Congress leaders have recently been invoking Koirala and the policy of national reconciliation to meet their own political needs.
Thapa also argued that political success or failure should not be measured solely by whether someone has attained a position or political power.
He recalled that the democracy enjoyed in the country today was made possible by the lifelong sacrifice and dedication of hundreds and thousands of committed leaders and activists from earlier generations, including people like author Dharma Gautam.
He said evaluating a person’s political worth solely on the basis of how many times they became a minister, parliamentarian or mayor would overshadow the politics of integrity and commitment.
Thapa said historical books documenting genuine memories and stories of sacrifice are important and authoritative records for passing the experiences of the past on to younger generations.
